As we reach the halfway point of the year, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on what has been a significant period for the business and the foundations we are putting in place for the future. We ended our financial year in March in a strong position. It was a positive year commercially, but more importantly it gave us the confidence to invest in the next stage of our journey. As a result, much of this year has been focused on strengthening the business across our people, systems and infrastructure. These investments come with short-term cost, but they are deliberate decisions designed to ensure we continue to grow sustainably.

One of our biggest areas of focus has been technology. Earlier this year, we began rolling out a new workforce management system, one of the most significant operational projects we have undertaken. The objective is simple: to bring our key operational processes into a single platform. This includes time and attendance, digitised cleaning schedules, planned preventative maintenance, compliance documentation and, increasingly, reactive service delivery through QR codes and future IoT-enabled solutions.  The real benefit is visibility. For our teams, it provides access to real-time data, clearer performance insights and better decision-making tools. For our customers, it creates greater transparency and a clearer view of service delivery. Six months into the rollout, it is already becoming a key part of how we operate and an important platform for future development.

Alongside this, we have made a number of key appointments to strengthen the business and provide greater support to our operational teams. We welcomed Sarah Burns as Head of Marketing and Communications, whose broad expertise is helping strengthen our brand, improve engagement across the business and support our continued development. Vicci Rashleigh has joined as HSEQ Manager, further enhancing our focus on quality, compliance and safety, while Sam Brookbank joined us as Operations Director in May, bringing a wealth of industry experience and leadership to support our teams and drive operational excellence. Across the wider business, we have also continued to promote talented people from within and add capability where needed. Together, these changes are helping us build greater capacity, resilience and expertise across the organisation.

We have also started looking more closely at how emerging technologies can support our teams. Our AI working group has begun to take shape, bringing together colleagues from across the business to explore how tools such as Copilot, and increasingly AI agents, can improve productivity, streamline processes and provide better insight. While still at an early stage, the opportunities are significant and we expect this to become an important area of focus over the coming months.

Externally, the market remains challenging. Customers continue to face pressure from a range of factors, including economic uncertainty, geopolitical instability, regulatory change and rapid technological advancement. The growing adoption of AI and automation is creating opportunities for organisations to improve productivity and operate more efficiently, while employment costs continue to rise. As a result, customers are placing greater emphasis on value, transparency and measurable outcomes from their service partners.

This is where our approach becomes increasingly important. Quality remains at the heart of everything we do. Consistently delivering high standards is critical not only for customer retention but also for future growth. At the same time, we remain focused on supporting our teams, ensuring contracts are appropriately resourced and that the systems, processes and leadership are in place to help people succeed.

Financially, we continue to take a measured and disciplined approach. While the business is in a strong position, our focus remains on building resilience, strengthening the balance sheet and maintaining healthy cash flow. In an environment that continues to change rapidly, this provides the stability to keep investing where it matters while protecting the business we have built.

Looking ahead, the next six months promise to be busy. We have a strong pipeline of opportunities, a number of live proposals and expect a significant level of mobilisation and delivery activity during the second half of the year. To support this, we continue to recruit in key areas, particularly within area management, key account support and office-based functions. At the same time, we are continuing to strengthen our systems and invest in technology that will improve efficiency, provide greater visibility across the business, and enable us to make faster, more informed decisions.

We are also expanding our physical capacity, taking on additional office space to support our growing team. This investment is about more than creating room for growth; it is about building a stronger foundation for the business, creating a more collaborative working environment, and ensuring our facilities better reflect the scale, professionalism and ambition of the company we have become.

There is no doubt that the coming months will be demanding. The pace of change, both in the market and in technology is only increasing. But we are excited about the opportunities ahead. With the investments we are making now, combined with the strength of our team and a clear focus on quality and delivery, we feel well positioned for what’s to come.